April 2015 – Page 2 – GW Blogs from Abroad

When in Rome…

AdminApril 20, 2015December 14, 2018

In Spain, spring break takes place during the Holy Week (Semana Santa), and gives students about 13 days off from school. A couple of my friends and I decided it would be a good idea to make use of the wo weeks and turn it into a eurotrip. So, I am currently writing this blog in a cozy little apartment in downtown Athens where we arrived after a 3 day trip to Rome. Before I left for my trip, I wanted to make sure I made the most out of my travel experience. This is why I finally decided to book a food tour while in Rome. At first, I thought 100 euros was a bit too steep of a price, but once I realized all that it included I knew the tour was a unique opportunity that I just couldn’t miss out on. When in Rome…right?

The EatingItaly Rome Tour, which I highly recommend, passed through the up-and-coming area of Trastevere and included 8 wondrous stops: a long-time family-owned restaurant where we tried fried artichokes and Italian champagne, an ancient wine cellar dug up by the restaurant that lay above, a family-run bakery, two meat and cheese shops, a suppli (fried rice ball) shop, an award winning restaurant where we ate gnocchi, spinach and ricotta ravioli and risotto, and a gourmet and organic gelato place. I cannot stress it enough when I say that it is easy to get caught up in the tourist traps of Rome. This tour, however, stopped at local, family-run places that simply oozed authenticity. In this tour alone, I learned more about Rome than I had going around hte city for 2 whole days.

I never thought that taking a food tour would be so rewarding, but I promise you it was. I was able to make new and authentic discoveries into the Italian culture (culinary and historical), to meet new people from all over the world, to eat things I normally wouldn’t otherwise, and to do something completely on my own. Since I was in London when my friends booked the tour, their time slot was sold out by the time I got around to purchasing a ticket. On a whim, I decided to go on the earlier tour alone. I had never done something like this on my own before, and was naturally a bit apprehensive. Thankfully, it was the best thing I could have ever done. Being on my own forced me to talk and get to know the people in my group, all who were amazing. Our group consisted of a newly wed couple from rural Pennsylvania, 4 friends from Cyprus, Rick Steves (!!) and our lovely tour guide, of course. Yes, that’s right—a celebrity was on the tour with us and I didn’t even know it at the time! Rick Steves, the author and travel guru, happened to take the same tour for research on an upcoming project he was filming in Rome. Since I had no idea who he was at the time, I thought that he just had a cool job, nothing more. Because Rick left before our last stop (some amazing and authentic gelato), I was able to hear our guide talk about how she couldn’t believe a travel wiz like him was on her tour! At that point, I was just mad I missed out on the opportunity for a picture or autograph. Rick, if you’re reading this, an autographed travel guide would be awesome! Thanks for making my special tour that much more special.

Without my friends, I also learned the most important lesson of all: traveling with friends can be great, but the most important journey will always be the one with yourself. Being on my own allowed me to better perceive my experience and transform it into something memorable and lasting. In other words, it was easier to figure out what that time had meant to me, rather then deciding after putting together the opinions of the rest of my group.

So…what to take away from all of this? While traveling, always, always, always seek out an authentic cultural experience, and always make sure you are able to enjoy an experience in the moment, without the thoughts and opinions of others.

The Insider’s Guide to Copenhagen

AdminApril 19, 2015December 14, 2018

By Ashlyn

Hey you. Yeah, you! You want to visit Copenhagen? You want to visit Copenhagen and skip tourist trap operations like Tivoli and the pocket-emptying experience that is Noma?

Most people prefer to go to a city's main tourist attractions when traveling. However, as great as viewing the "must-see" sights is to the eager traveler, sticking to the beaten path is not a great way to take in the full depth of a city's culture. For anyone interested in coming to Copenhagen and getting an "insider's" look at the city, the following are a few tips to point you in the right direction.

Insider Site: The Botanical Gardens

While most prefer to see the castles or visit the Little Mermaid statue at the harbor, some visitors to Copenhagen might prefer the beautiful Botanical Gardens. The garden is host to a number of different plants and funguses and serves as a "gene bank" for many different species. It is a part of Denmark's Natural History Museum. The grounds are lovely in the spring and summer; even in the winter, though, the large heated building is open during the day and shows off all manner of plants, big and small. Those with a love of nature should not miss it.

Insider Eats: Torvehallerne

Right outside of the Nørreport metro stop is Torvehallerne, nicknamed "the Glass Market." Two glass buildings feature a smorgasbord of delicious treats, from fresh-baked bread to pastries to-go, squeezed juice, gourmet chocolate and more. Personal favorites include the dulce de leche oatmeal from Grød, the pulled chicken banh mi from Lêlê, and a pack of sweet Danish flødebøller from Summerbird.

Insider Drinks: Lidkoeb

Looking for a fun place to spend the evening sipping drinks? Lidkoeb, located in a back alley in Vesterbro, is a three-level bar with an interesting theme on each floor. Get beer on the entrance floor, cocktails at the level above, or sip whiskey on the top floor. Keep your drinks inside at the bars and comfortable tables, or head outside to the covered patio. In the colder months, heated lamps and furs keep bargoers cozy.

Insider Fun: The Meatpacking District

Anyone who goes out regularly in Copenhagen has been to the Meatpacking District. What used to be a big collection of meatpacking establishments has been turned into a hip center for bars and nightclubs. Located on this stretch in Vesterbro is Jolene, a popular nightclub and bar, as well as Mother, a popular pizza restaurant. Follow the hordes of young Danes on a Saturday night and you won't miss it.

Crossing Boarders

AdminApril 19, 2015December 14, 2018

By practiceyogadistrict

Spring break has been spent as an escape from the stifling heat of Khon Kaen. First stop, Laos. Laos borders the north of Thailand. To travel there was an adventure in and of itself. The sleeper bus from Khon Kaen to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand was standard. Our next task was to hop on the 9am bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong. Though we arrived two hours before this bus left, it was already full, and our next chance to get to the boarder was at 2:30pm. We (Jenna and Anne and I—traveling friends) decided this would be okay, because according to what we had read online, the boarder stays open from 6am-10pm, and according to our calculations we would get there right at 8 and have time to cross before it closed. Cabs and Tuk Tuks awaited us as we disembarked the bus, hassling for our business-- the usual drill. We asked to be taken to the boarder, and every single person we asked said ‘mai dai’ which means I can’t or I won’t because it was closed already. Being the stubborn people we are, Anne, Jenna and I concluded that we could walk there on our own. At night. Through this new city we had never been to. The reason we were so intent on crossing the boarder that night was because we had to meet our guides for a trekking and zip-lining jungle experience at 8am the next morning. We had no idea the distance, but we knew general directions to the boarder crossing. About 10 minutes into our walk we begin to feel drops of rain on our heads. ‘Only a little rain,’ we said to one another, nothing we can’t handle. Then the rain began to fall heavier and heavier- big fat drops of water drenching everything we had with us. It was around 9pm now. Up ahead we saw a bright green sign—Tesco Lotus—the Thai version of Walmart. We ran to it, a safe refuge from the tropical storm we had found ourselves in. As we called the one guesthouse that we knew of the power flickered out in Tesco. You know you are in the midst of something when a supermarket loses power. On our drive to the guesthouse (the owner took pity on us and picked us up from Tesco) we saw countless toppled signs. The next day we succumbed to taking a Tuk Tuk as early as we could to the boarder. What we discovered was that the Thai boarder was open from 8am to 8pm, but the Laos boarder’s hours were from 6am-10pm. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Needless to say, it was a good thing that the storm stopped us. It was 10km to the boarder, not the 3km that we thought. And even if we had made it all the way there, we wouldn’t even have been able to cross.

As we raced in the Song Taew through Huay Xai, a small town on our way to Bokeo Nature Reserve for our three days in the jungle, I took in the new country that surrounded me. The town looked just like Thai towns that I had driven through countless times. Leaving the town, however, I was struck by how green, lush, and untouched Laos nature seemed. Fresh air did me well. The clean sweetness of the jungle air was precisely what I needed, and the joys of hiking, zip-lining, and tree house living satisfied my need for nature.

Now back in Chiang Mai, I am preparing for three days of being relentlessly soaked. Songkran, Thailand’s New Year’s celebration begins today. Instead of the ball dropping, Thais ring in the New Year with a massive three-day water fight. Everyone, whether stranger, family, young or old participate in festivities. The water traditionally symbolizes cleansing from sin, but younger generations of Thais and tourists have turned the holiday into a massive party. It is what it is. Happy New Year, friends! May the adventure continue for another year!

Paris Ten Years Later

AdminApril 19, 2015December 17, 2018

By kennatim

A couple weeks ago I traveled to Paris to visit my friend Lars, who is studying at the American University of Paris. It was actually to be my second time in the city, as I went with a student group in 2005 when I was 11 years old. 10 years later, I found myself touching down once again, this time alone on a crowded Ryanair flight.

I unfortunately don’t remember much about my first trip, but I do remember a general feeling of unease about the city itself. I had an amazing weekend, but traveling around full of déjà vu moments made me understand why preteen Tim was not in love with Paris. The city is remarkably enormous, and the average Parisian seems to spend most of their time on the metro. There was also less of an understanding and less patience by the locals for tourists and foreigners. This culture, the type where no one says “excuse me” when you bump into each other, contrasted US culture in many, many ways. It sort of made me appreciate where I came from. It definitely made me realize how big our world is and how, even in the Internet Age when many US customs have been adopted around the world, there are still many places where your social mores get thrown out the window for native ones.

Aside from my small gripes, the city was beautiful. I got to take in all the sites: Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, Champs Elysees, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, and I even took an awesome photo on the top of the Eiffel Tower to replicate one I took ten years prior. I would be walking down the street and suddenly think, “Wow, I remember this. Our tour bus was parked right there.” The weather made Dublin look like the Arctic Circle, and I would not have been anywhere without my incredible tour guide and, more importantly, translator, Lars. I tried some delicious duck, ate too many baguettes and croissants to count, and even got to check out some 50,000 Euro watches at the Louis Vuitton store.

It really takes the experience of a contrasting culture and set of attitudes to realize that your own culture is not simply the norm. My amazing weekend in Paris proved this to me. Shout out to Lars for putting me up and showing me this large and beautiful city!

An Easter Staycation

AdminApril 18, 2015December 14, 2018

By ebetts

There's something to be said for studying in a more isolated place. You concern yourself with exploring a country rather than a continent. But for many people, part of the draw of spending a semester in Europe is the opportunity to travel to much more than your host country (thank you Eurozone). It's definitely easy to get caught up in and overwhelmed by the myriad of travel possibilities. Four to six months can go by in the blink of an eye and your weekends are numbered. But as amazing as seeing everywhere from Bucharest to Oslo to Paris seems, my biggest piece of advice would be to shorten your laundry list.

I think our generation has an addiction to numbers. We make lists of things we've done and places we've been then share that with the world on every social media we like or vaguely understand. There's nothing wrong with this - personally I enjoy living vicariously through people's virtual adventures. My point here is that there's a reason you chose whatever city/town/rural village to study in so you might as well spend a good amount of time getting to know it.

Instead of jet-setting for Easter weekend, I decided to stay put in Berlin. And let me tell you, Stay-cation 2k15 has been nothing but a success. I realized when I first got to Berlin I was so concerned with acclimating and making this city my new home that I never let myself just be a tourist. So in the past 72 hours I have gone to the zoo, visited the Victory Tower, explored Easter markets, wandered aimlessly through courtyards, eaten fantastic food and overall finally discovered the Berlin I was looking for.

As amazing as traveling is, it's also time consuming, exhausting and quite a strain on the purse strings. So to all you current and future globe trotters out there don't forget that staying in place can be just as much of an adventure.

Living in an Interface Community

AdminApril 15, 2015December 14, 2018

By Shannon McKeown

Northern Ireland, and specifically its capital Belfast, has a long history of inter-community violence rooted in a deep ethno-sectarian divide. This divide stems from clashes between Protestant Unionists, who want to remain a part of Britain, and Catholic Republicans, who wish to be a part of the state of Ireland. Violence began as early as the 17^th century when the English and Scottish came to Northern Ireland (then considered ‘Ulster’) in order to establish plantations. The conflict came to a head in the 1960s, which began a period known as ‘The Troubles’ in which there was an increase in violence on both sides, usually instigated by paramilitaries, and many causalities. In the 1990s, an initiative for a peace process was established, ending in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. More than fifteen years later, the ceasefire has continued to hold and with the exception of a few rare cases, politically motivated violence has ceased to exist in the city of Belfast. However, although the city is now a much safer place to live, there is still a substantial lack of trust and interaction between the two communities. While peace was established on the surface, there is still a lack of a deep-rooted peace.

Living in Belfast during their period of reconciliation has been an eye opening experience. Many aspects of living in the city that may seem strange to someone from the United States are a part of the daily life of Belfast citizens. There are protestant communities and catholic communities, and they do not interact with one another. In some cases, peace walls higher than the Berlin wall separate the neighborhoods in order to avoid confrontation between them. While there is technically ‘peace,’ it is a separate peace.

Interestingly, one of the issues that has the most potential for a violent confrontation is the flag. In the United States, it is an ordinary sight to see the American flag hanging from houses and buildings. In Belfast, the flags are a symbolic reflection of the divide. In unionist neighborhoods, the British flag is present, while in republican neighborhoods, the Irish flag is used. You immediately know which side’s neighborhood you are entering. Due to this, parades and marching are also a form of contention here in Belfast. The unionists celebrate the protestant victory against the Catholics in battle that took place in the 17^th century every 12^th of July. There is a great deal of political tension on this day if the Unionists march near a Catholic neighborhood.

This semester, I am able to participate in a service learning aspect of my Irish History course. This past week, a classmate and I spoke to two men who are in charge of a community watch program. These two men grew up throughout the Troubles and have seen the worst of the violence here in Belfast. These activist programs, and their leaders, hold a great deal of respect in their given communities. Throughout the Troubles, there was a great amount of distrust of the police force on the Catholic side. To this day, many citizens feel more comfortable approaching these activist organizations than the police when issues arise. While the organizations will suggest going to police depending on the issue (as the trust in the police force has grown stronger in the past decade), they can often resolve the issue more effectively on their own, consulting with the leaders of the other community’s activist groups if need be. One of these men explained a situation in which he helped to defuse a potentially serious clash. There was a Protestant gathering during one of their holidays and out of mere curiosity, a group of Catholics travelled to the other neighborhood to see what was going on. However, the Protestant community perceived the group of Catholics as a threat and were fearful of them. The Protestant community knew to call this man, the leader of the community watch organization, in order to call back the Catholics. He came and they listened to him, and the problem was resolved quickly. However, if police had come to breakup the gathering, there was a chance that it could have escalated from an interaction born of curiosity into a violent clash acting upon instinct and distrust.

While this distrust between communities is very evident, community programs are currently at work that aim to bridge the gap. While the older generations grew up throughout the Troubles and are naturally more distrustful of the other side, there is a substantial effort to unite the youth in workshops and activities in order to work together towards a more united future.

European Dreams

AdminApril 15, 2015December 14, 2018

By conniezhanger

Back at home in America, there are always so many things to worry about, from exams, to papers, to outfits for social gatherings. It's so easy to get caught up in the hurry, rush, and struggle of things that it is easy to forget that most of these problems are not as big as they are. Coming to Europe has really opened me eyes to how expansive our world is, was, and will always be. It's made me even more open-minded than I ever was, and even more determined to pursue my dreams (when I find out what they are). More importantly, it's made me realize that I am the only one who controls my destiny. ...continue reading "European Dreams"

"Same Same But Different"

AdminApril 15, 2015December 14, 2018

By LizGoodwin04

There’s a phrase in Thailand that one will see plastered on t-shirts and hear spoken by Thais all over the country and it is “same same but different.” This phrase means exactly what is sounds like; it’s used to describe something that is essentially the same, but just a little different.

This past week, our program travelled to Koh Chang, an island off the coast of Thailand, to study tourism and it’s impacts on the environment. The island of Koh Chang has two sides. One can turn left and visit the local, preserved side of the island, or one can turn right and visit the developed, touristy side of the island. Ultimately, both sides of the island are the same, but different.

While developers have built up the right side of the island, causing many environmental problems like the accumulation of waste and water pollution, the left side has remained relatively untouched, only inhabited by the locals. The locals on this side of the island are hoping to increase community-based tourism; a system where locals would run the tourist industry and the money from tourism would go back into the community rather than leaving in the hands of developers.

Throughout the week, my classmates and I stayed with host families on the left side of the island learning how to promote community-based tourism and how to prevent environmental degradation from development policy. We had a boat tour around the island and went snorkeling so we could see the coral reef that is being destroyed by tourists who have damaged the coral by touching it and we hiked over a mountain to the only beach left on the island that hadn’t been bought by a developer yet. On the second to last night we were in Koh Chang, we travelled to the other side of the island; the right side that has been built up by developers.

On this side, the streets were covered by neon signs and shops catered to foreigners. There were hardly any Thais in sight and everything in this area was dirty and polluted. I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to come to this side of the island when they could have an amazing, local and immersive experience on the left side of the island. Although the two sides of the island are ultimately the same, they are so very different.

Membership Training

AdminApril 14, 2015

Annyeonghaseyo (Hello)! Seoul, South Korea week 4! My mood is fantastic. The study abroad chart shown at orientation does not seem to apply to me. I am constantly happy and my program just keeps getting better! Shout out to my sister Yanina, so far the only Kim I know is Kimchi. I shall start off with a random story of week 4 study abroad.

About two weeks ago, my friends Jesse, Ernest, John and I decided that it would be fun to travel to a random metro stop and just explore what was around the area. We managed to get off at a stop called Seokgye, about three blocks away from our regular Anam stop. As it was around 9pm and we were all hungry, we agreed on a late dinner. We managed to walk one block up from the metro station, when John stopped to look inside of a restaurant shop. As soon as he took longer than 5 seconds, a spry Korean woman pulled him inside and, thus, we were compelled to dine there. Once inside we were seated in the corner near a party of rowdy Korean working class men who had no problem taking shots of Soju on a Monday night. We suddenly realized that there was no English menu.

The consensus was to ask the Korean woman who let us in to order for us. The challenge was telling the woman that we were hungry and wanted food not alcohol. It took us 5 minutes to explain to her that we only came in for dinner. It quickly became the best decision ever. Once she understood she picked out two dishes from the menu based on her own tastes. She choose this giant honey mustard omelet and boiling hot noodle clam stew. Both were way too delicious and so random, that all of us were happy she ordered for us.Another interesting learning experience so far has been teaching one of my KUBA buddies English through a language exchange program offered here. I signed up for the program on the first day of orientation in the hopes of also being able to pick up some Korean. My exchange buddy and I sat next to each other during a group 5 lunch. We talked about everything from K-pop to our favorite color. Although, I only learned how to say "you're welcome," we ended up becoming good friends. I hope to be able to hold a simple Korean conversation after these next couple of weeks.

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to party in the number 9 club in the world, Octagon. It was not shaped like an octagon, nor was it the best club I have ever been to. However, I had a good time. My roommate Alissa and I kept being pulled to tables by Koreans to party with them and were even invited to the VIP room. As fun as it was to come home early in the morning, that was not the highlight of that weekend. The very next day I joined my KUBA group on a typical KUBA event called membership training. Membership training is where many school clubs, companies, and friend and family groups go to stay in a house for a night to drink and bond with those around them. The house my group stayed at was 5 hours away and was located in the middle of the mountains outside of Seoul. My friend Sabrina and I came at 6pm and were immediately served Korean BBQ. People had arrived earlier and already started drinking. When we got into the house, I noticed that there was no furniture and the floor was heated. The experience that followed can only be described as an organized Korean version of a house party. Throughout the night, I had a chance to experience Korean games and bond with my KUBA buddies as well as the other international students. Definitely an experience I will not forget. For now until next time! Annyeoungkyeseyo (Goodbye)!

Underneath the coffee tree

AdminApril 14, 2015

If you know me well, you know that I am quite the coffee snob. I am religious about my coffee routines in the morning when I am at home. I grind my beans fresh, and delight in the robust smells of my French Press brewing as I get ready for classes. My coffee is always just the way I like it. You can tell by the way I am even writing about this little routine of mine now that aside from friendships, this may be the biggest thing I miss. ANYWAYS, last week I had an experience that every coffee connoisseur dreams of.

Our comparative study took us up to Chiang Mai and the into the hills north of Chiang Mai to meet and spend a few nights with the Pogonyor tribe, a subset of the Karen Hill Tribe. I knew the villagers were farmers, many of them living a simple life of subsistence farming and selling any leftovers. However, little did I know that they also grew coffee.

We drove up the winding roads for two hours to get to the village, and arrived mid-morning. The air was cool and the sky was blue and the plants were lusciously green—a nice change from down in the lowlands in Chiang Mai where they are burning their crops and everything is dry and lifeless. We were actually at a high enough elevation that there were pine trees. The Pah that was hosting us welcomed us with a coffee feast, if there ever were such a thing. He had a bag of beans sitting on the table. I nibbled on one—immediate cure to my caffeine headache. Pah ground the beans, put heaps of them in a filter over a pitcher and methodically poured water over the ground beans. Comforting smells of rich, robust black coffee, right from the source wafted up towards my face. I felt as though I was at our family cabin in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State. The combination of the smell of pine and the smell of dark coffee brought me back to summer mornings spent there. This was paradise. A pour over coffee, traditionally one of the most hipster drinks you can buy in America, was being brought back to it’s roots. Actually though. I was physically standing under the coffee tree the beans had come from.

Noticing my joy and delight over this little experience we were having, Pah picked the coffee cherry, the fruit that the bean derives from, off of the tree and allowed me to smell it. Then he led me around the side of the house and showed me where he roasts the beans. I was expecting a massive roasting machine like there are in the US. I hadn’t even imagined other ways one could roast the coffee plant. But we turn the corner, and he motions to this little pot on the ground, that essentially a Thai wood burning stove. He then pulled out a contraption that sat on top of it; a small barrel with open ends and a crank on the side that he put the beans in over the fire. Turning and turning them to roast each batch, which would have probably filled three or four bags to sell. Handmade coffee. I was in awe. I will never see coffee the same again.